Liverpool head coach warns league of need for rule changes to tackle anti-football time wasting
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has warned the Premier League of the need to address “tactics that have nothing to do with football”. Slot is frustrated that opponents deploy time-wasting strategies and negative play which he says are hurting the integrity and rhythm of the game.
The Premier League winner was discussing plans to reinforce his squad and make tactical tweaks ahead of next season, but said that some negative tactics had no countermeasures. It marked a change from the period of Liverpool’s title charge, when the 46-year-old always spoke glowingly about the quality of competition in the Premier League.
“One of the things you cannot do anything about is that tactics are being used that have nothing to do with football,” said Slot. “Delaying the start of the game, pretending you are injured, taking one minute for a free-kick, one minute for a throw-in. That is my main worry.
“When we have dropped points, that tactic was used. I like to say it now after us winning the league, not [after] losing a game.”
Liverpool secured the Premier League with four matches to go, having won 25 games, drawn seven and lost three. In some of those games, that they drew or lost, Slot said that the opponent was able to manage it by employing delaying tactics that made it difficult to gain any rhythm.
The Dutchman said: “I don’t wake up during the night but if I did I might be like: ‘Shit, there’s no answer to be found to that type of play.’ Every time we drop points, that happened … goalkeepers taking one and a half minutes.”
He called on league officials to take notice and start enforcing measures to protect the tempo of the game. Slot referenced Manchester City defender Ruben Dias, who spoke last week about these concerns following a frustrating 0-0 result against Southampton that threatened to derail their Champions League ambitions.
“Ruben Dias said something [about Southampton’s negative tactics] too, which is not always the best moment to say it after dropping points,” said Slot. “But for me he was right. Southampton can do what they want but we as a league must find an answer.”
“People always tell you the Premier League is so intense, so intense. But there are tactics to slow the game down.”
